Time-tested authority: Azerbaijan and its formula for success Article by Matanat Nasibova

The opening ceremony of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the Islamic Development Bank Group, held in Baku on 18 June, once again confirmed that since gaining independence at the end of the twentieth century, Azerbaijan has steadily strengthened its position not only as the leading country of the South Caucasus but also as a respected participant in international affairs.

This message became the central theme of President Ilham Aliyev’s address at the opening of the large-scale event, where he highlighted the key priorities of the country’s economic and regional agenda. The Azerbaijani leader’s speech effectively served as a presentation of Azerbaijan’s political role within the Islamic world and reflected Baku’s broader strategy of enhancing its international influence.

This is hardly surprising. By serving as a platform for dialogue between regions and civilisations, Azerbaijan has, amid the ongoing transformation of the global order, consistently strengthened its position as one of the key centres of political and economic interaction in the Islamic world.

It is particularly noteworthy that since hosting the Islamic Development Bank Group’s Annual Meetings in Baku for the first time in 2010, Azerbaijan has gone on to host dozens of other major international forums and summits. This speaks volumes. When selecting a host country for events of global significance, the international community naturally favours states with a strong reputation and a proven ability to deliver a high standard of organisation. President Ilham Aliyev drew attention to this point at the very beginning of his address.

“Azerbaijan hosts the Annual Meeting for the second time, which also is a clear demonstration of our close ties, the level of cooperation, and the scope of joint activity. I remember very well 2010, when we were the host country for the first time. And that Annual Meeting gave a strong boost to our partnership with the Group and also to the reforms Azerbaijan was implementing in order to diversify its economy, conduct reforms, and reduce dependence on the energy sector. Many things have changed since that time in Azerbaijan and around. One of the things that has not changed is Azerbaijan’s stable, successful development. This is the demonstration of the policy we conduct, a policy based on our national interests, on good relations with all the actors on the global arena and on a strong commitment to our successful development,” the head of state stated.

In this context, it is important to emphasise that Azerbaijan’s political weight today is determined not only by its geographical location or energy resources, but also by its ability to pursue an independent foreign policy, act as a reliable partner, and put forward initiatives that resonate across different regions of the world. This standing was not achieved overnight. The international authority of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been built over many years, and one of its most notable manifestations was the broad support the country received during its election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, when 155 states placed their trust in Azerbaijan.

A similarly strong vote of confidence was demonstrated when Azerbaijan assumed the chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, the second-largest international organisation after the United Nations, bringing together 120 full member states. Azerbaijan’s tenure came during one of the most challenging periods in contemporary international politics. Nevertheless, Baku succeeded in strengthening the Movement’s role as an important platform for dialogue between developed and developing countries and launched a number of widely supported international initiatives. This contribution was recognised through the unanimous decision of member states to extend Azerbaijan’s chairmanship.

It was this political stability that created the conditions both for the country’s modernisation and for the implementation of long-term national projects. Among these, the revival of Karabakh and East Zangezur occupies a special place—a subject that President Ilham Aliyev addressed in detail during his speech.

“Immediately after we liberated our territories, we started a large-scale reconstruction program. Today, already in Garabagh and East Zangazur, almost 90,000 people live, work, and study. We allocated from our state budget more than $15 billion to different infrastructure and housing projects, but from all sources, the volume of financing to liberated territories is close to $17 billion. Large-scale infrastructure projects are being implemented, including water storages, water canals, power stations, three international airports already commissioned, tunnels, and bridges,” Ilham Aliyev stated, expressing his gratitude to the Islamic Development Bank Group for supporting the reconstruction of Azerbaijan’s liberated territories.

In this way, Azerbaijan is demonstrating to the world not only its ability to restore and safeguard its sovereignty, but also its determination to transform a post-conflict region into a space of development and progress. At the same time, the country continues to strengthen its position as a key transport and energy hub of Eurasia. The expansion of the East–West and North–South transport corridors crossing Azerbaijani territory, the supply of natural gas to 16 countries, and the implementation of large-scale renewable energy projects all form part of this coherent and forward-looking strategy.

Taken together, these achievements are enhancing Azerbaijan’s international significance, making it an increasingly important actor in ensuring energy and transport security across the vast area stretching from Asia to Europe. In the years ahead, the country’s policy priorities will remain focused on further economic diversification, the development of transport and logistics infrastructure, the strengthening of food security, and the acceleration of the green transition.

Thanks to its greatest asset—political stability and a high level of international trust—Azerbaijan continues to confidently pursue its national interests, strengthen its position on the global stage, and advance a peace-oriented agenda in the South Caucasus. The country consistently advocates the creation of a new framework for regional cooperation based on mutual recognition of sovereignty, respect for territorial integrity, and non-interference in the internal affairs of states. President Ilham Aliyev also addressed this issue in his speech, drawing attention to Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani territories and its long-term consequences.

“Our lands were occupied in the beginning of the 1990s, that created a humanitarian catastrophe. We had 1 million refugees and internally displaced persons in the beginning of the 1990s. At that time, our population was 8 million, so one in eight was a refugee, homeless, jobless, without any means for living. That was a real humanitarian catastrophe, and we were left alone. Armenia, which committed war crimes, the Khojaly genocide, destroyed our cities and villages, conducted urbicide on the occupied territories, was not sanctioned.

Today we hear about sanctions—sanctions, sanctions—we hear every day. As soon as something happens, immediately sanctions are imposed, but no one imposed sanctions on Armenia, and this is a clear demonstration of double standards, a clear demonstration of the difference between proclaimed so-called values and real politics,” the head of state stated.

These remarks underscored one of the key messages of the President’s address: Azerbaijan’s commitment to justice, sovereignty, and a rules-based approach to international relations. They also highlighted the country’s determination to ensure that the realities of the past are neither forgotten nor ignored as the region moves towards a more stable and cooperative future.

At the same time, the Azerbaijani leader sent an important message to the international community: “ We will never forget what Armenian occupation forces have done to our people, to our cities [...] We will never forget the Khojaly genocide, but we need to look to the future, and we took revenge on the battlefield, and that's enough. That war or wars should have stopped, and we stopped it. As a strong side, we stopped it and offered peace. So now peace is reality.”

These words by Ilham Aliyev serve as another confirmation of the fundamental principles of the Azerbaijani state: our independence is permanent, our territorial integrity is inviolable, and our country does not lay claim to the lands of others. Azerbaijan is committed to building peace and progress for the entire region, while consistently and unwaveringly safeguarding its national interests.